Alum becomes 1st DO to lead Dallas County Medical Society

walton-DCMSinstallation15-B-web-2

In the late 1970s when Jim Walton, DO, MBA, graduated from the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, he and others faced a clear and inconsistently applied bias against the profession.

What a difference 40 years make.

Dr. Walton was recently installed as the 132nd president of the Dallas County Medical Society and the first osteopathic physician to serve in the position.  In his new role, he’ll lead the second-largest county medical society in the United States with more than 7,000 physicians, medical students and residents.

“Being the first osteopathic physician to serve as president was a little bit of a surprise,” Dr. Walton said. “But having worked with the medical society a dozen years, and considering the relationships I built with physician leaders around care for the underserved, it just seemed a natural next step to participate in the over-arching leadership, too.”

He credits TCOM with producing many skilled physicians who worked diligently to break down barriers against osteopathic physicians in all fields of health care delivery and management.

“It’s a tribute to the school and the work that has been done over the decades,” he said.

Since graduating from TCOM in 1982, Dr. Walton initially practiced as an internist in Waxahachie before transitioning to health care management for Baylor Health Care System in Dallas.  He earned an MBA at the University of Michigan in 2009.

But he has never lost sight of his goal to provide medical services to the economically disadvantaged. For 12 years he was active with the Dallas County Medical Society and the Texas Medical Association, working to improve Medicaid operations and funding.

Additionally, at the Dallas County Medical Society, Dr. Walton served as medical director for Project Access Dallas, a network of 2,000 physicians and 15 hospitals providing comprehensive health care access to uninsured people throughout Dallas County.

Currently, as president & CEO of Genesis Physicians Group, he oversees the largest independent practice association in North Texas, supporting 1,400 doctors in their efforts to provide quality medical care while transitioning to accountable care management and clinical integration.

In his new role as DCMS president, he plans to work with the organization to identify how physicians can focus on vulnerable populations during this period of rapid marketplace change, while simultaneously supporting physicians who wish to maintain independent private practices.

Recent News

Dr. John Licciardone
  • Research
|Jun 12, 2025

Long-term study shows better chronic pain outcomes in patients treated by osteopathic physicians

The first long-term study involving three years of follow-up of osteopathic medical care for chronic pain has been published in the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine. The research team was led by Dr. John Licciardone, executive director of the Osteopathic Research Center and regents professor at T...
Dsc01266
  • Community
|Jun 12, 2025

Legacy Writers: TCOM students bring life stories to the final chapter

When Azelia Lau arrived at the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, she brought more than a passion for psychiatry. She also carried a long-held idea inspired by an undergraduate program she never got to join. Now a third-...
Lillee Smith Gelinas 666 X 750
  • Research
|Jun 5, 2025

TCOM course linked to higher patient safety awareness knowledge and residency readiness

The Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth is the first medical school in the country to require a patient safety course that prepares students for the Certified Professional in Patient Safety credential — and a new study publishe...
Web Banners
  • Community
|May 30, 2025

TCOM retired faculty member Dr. Frank Papa named emeritus professor by UNT Board of Regents

With more than 40 years of experience, expertise and dedication to the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, the UNT System Board of Regents has awarded Frank Papa, DO, Ph.D., with the designation of emeritus professor. Dr. Pa...